Calling - Diane Mettam

I have been thinking this week about weakness, and how it might be a blessing.  When I was hit with my latest diagnosis I was depressed.  And of course I was tired, and in pain.  But then I realized that these things might be a blessing.  This was a chance to re-order my life.

Like many of us in the caring community, I find it hard to say no.  Consequently, I found myself committed to things I wasn't really enjoying, but felt I had to do because someone asked me.  But I didn't have the energy to do them, and they weren't feeding my soul.  Now I had a good reason to let them go.  It used to be I could do two things on a good day; now it seems I can do only one.  And if it isn't something that makes me feel my time was well spent, that isn't something I need to do. 

I am still tutoring children two mornings a week at our local K-3 school.  No matter how bad I feel, they cheer me up.  And it’s amazing to see how 15-30 minutes one-on-one with a child can make such a huge difference in his or her reading and math skills. 

I sew quilts for charity because I am always happy at the sewing machine, or with a needle and thread and fabric in my hands.  And I just finished making Christmas stockings for a foster children’s project.  These things bring me joy.  But I didn't enjoy serving on the board of the quilt guild, and evening meetings were nearly impossible for me.  It was a no-brainer to let that go. 

The service club that my husband and I belonged to in Bishop was great.  We did lots of hands-on local projects, as well as supporting international projects.  The club here just isn't the same.  We haven’t forged the same friendships, and service seems to be expressed by writing checks rather than getting your hands dirty.  I've let them know I won’t be renewing my dues next quarter, although my husband will remain a member.  It was a cordial break-up, and I will be a welcome guest at their meetings, but I’m no longer obligated to be there.

The one difficult thing to give up was an international emergency shelter organization for whom I speak as a fundraiser.  But none of the service clubs in this area seem willing to hear their message, so I haven’t been very effective lately.  The organization accepted my resignation as an Ambassador, but is retaining me as a Liaison.  They also sent me messages of support. 

My decision to cut down on my activities has given me more peace and more time for the things that please me - church, children, my home.  It hasn't made me stronger physically yet, but I believe I am on the road to a stronger spirit.  And it made me wonder why it took a health crisis for me to make this decision to set my priorities in order.  If I didn't enjoy doing things, and I wasn't effective, why was I doing them? 

And perhaps that’s something we can all stop and consider.  Is ineffective help better than no help at all?  Let us dedicate ourselves to the things we believe God calls us to do, and give our heart to those causes.

All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.  2 Timothy 2:21

Prayer requests this week:

•  a church that needs hearts opened for accessibility.  They need a ramp and right now the leadership isn't open to that option.  There is a member striving for this accessibility who will value knowing that she is supported by all of us.

Dear Lord, Thank you for reminding us of what is truly important.  Help us to recall that there is strength in numbers, and that we do not have to do it all on our own.  Help us remember that there is tremendous power in prayer, and that your word not only created this world, but can change it as well.  Move hearts and minds this week, and open doors in every sense of the word.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

All Saints - Diane Mettam

As we celebrated All Saints Day I thought about all those people who shaped my faith journey, from my dear great-aunt, who served as my grandmother when her sister, my grandmother, died in my infancy, to Dorothy,  who called herself “MOM,” My Other Mother, and demonstrated her huge caring Christian heart, worrying about me and caring for me every week.  There was my Great-Grandpa George, who spent hours listening to my endless stories, and kept every letter I ever wrote to him and every drawing I ever made.  Each one of these people gave me a glimpse of just how large God’s heart must be, and how important it was for me to share God’s love with the people I met.  “Your life may be the only Bible some people read,” I was told.

When I was in high school I read a book called “The Other Side of the Mountain.”  It inspired me.  It was about a young woman named Jill Kinmont.  She was qualifying for the 1956 Olympics when she broke her neck in a skiing accident.  The book told about her fight to regain her independence.  She fought to go to college, to become a teacher, and to have her own classroom.  And it was a fight.  No one thought a woman who was paralyzed from the neck down could maintain order in a classroom.  Later two movies were made based on Jill’s story, and I found them just as inspiring.

When we moved to Bishop in 1990, who was in the congregation of the Methodist church but Jill?  I should have known!  Jill’s family had worshiped at the church for years, and so had Jill and her husband John.  She had taught at the Indian School until it was incorporated into the public school system, and then continued working as a special education teacher.  She raised money for Native American scholarships, selling donations from the Mammoth Mountain Ski Shop at swap meets and fairs.  This was hazardous work because Jill had no thermostat to regulate her body, and prolonged exposure to heat or the sun was dangerous.  But she would be out there under the trees in those warm high desert days.  She was a talented artist.  A community day school was named for her.  And she became my friend.

When I started a mentoring program at the church, Jill was the first person to sign up.  And when she learned her child had a sister who also needed a special friend, she took on both girls.  She gave so freely of herself, and her time, when she had every excuse not to.  When life placed me in a wheelchair, I had a model of grace, acceptance, and overcoming the odds, all with a smile on her face, to look to.  I was at her house one day when a crew from 60 Minutes was there to do a follow-up interview.  I didn’t know she wasn’t expected to live more than 15 years past her initial injury.  And here it was, 35 years later, and she was still going strong.  I believe her faith, and her positive outlook, as well as a strong purpose to her life, had a lot to do with that.

We lost Jill in 2012, a week before her 76th birthday.  The turnout for her celebration of life was so large it had to be held at the cemetery.  There just wasn’t enough room at the church.  She touched many, many lives, all for the better.   When it came to naming that community day school, the principal related that he asked the superintendent if the students could have a voice in naming it.  The superintendent said they could submit up to three names.  They came back with only one - Jill’s. 

I told Jill that before I met her, she had been my role model.  And when I went into that wheelchair, I joked, she became my roll model.  What I never told her was that she was my hero.  And for that I am truly sorry.  But I think she knew all the same.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

Dear Lord, Thank you for all the witness who have come before us, and who are with us today.  Bless those witness who are sharing the message of inclusiveness this week.  Give them wisdom to reach new people, and give their audiences open hearts and minds to hear the message and bring it into their churches.  This we pray in the name of your Son, the open door.  Amen.

Prayer Requests this week:

•  The One Roof Initiative’s Introduction to Disability Ministry Workshop this Saturday, November 8th, from 8:30 am to noon at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Florida.  This interactive workshop will help churches considering starting a disability ministry see how experienced local churches are engaging individuals and families impacted by disabilities.  Register online at lhttp://www.theoneroof.com/event-introduction-disability-ministry

•  The Northern Illinois Accessibility Access Conference will also take place this Saturday, November 8th, from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm at Barrington UMC.  Our own Lynn Swedberg will be the keynote speaker.  You may register here:  https://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=20144031E

                 

                 

                 

Communication - Diane Mettam

Yes, once again internet woes have kept me incommunicado.  But we think (and pray) the problem is finally solved.  As I tried to tell the new internet service provider, it was a bad modem.  They finally agreed and replaced it.  But it got me thinking about communication, and how difficult it can be.

I have a friend who was born with a severe form of cerebral palsy.  He has needed help with feeding, bathing and dressing all his life.  He needs a wheelchair to get around, and someone to push it for him.  He needs help getting into and out of bed.  And, like Moses, he is slow of speech.  But despite these ways his body has betrayed him, he is incredibly intelligent and very well educated.

Despite these challenges that might defeat a lesser person, Dan has managed to serve on a disability board for the State of California, traveling around the state on a merciless schedule advocating for the rights of the physically and developmentally challenged.  He also arranged a bowling league for the physically and developmentally challenged in the town where I used to live, which I enjoyed tremendously. 

I never knew I could bowl in a wheelchair until I met Dan.  Enter the ramp - a metal device on which you (or a helper) place your ball.  You (or your helper) aim the ramp in the direction you wish the ball to go, release the ball, and with any luck you knock down the pins!  In no time I was nearly as good a bowler as I had been as a young woman (but not nearly as good as Dan).   

Because of his speech impediment, people treat Dan as less than able.  They become impatient waiting for him to complete a sentence and try to finish it for him, or they look to his attendant to conduct the entire conversation.  And I think how much they miss, and how much they hurt Dan.

At the beginning I was just as guilty.  At times I thought I was helping.  I had a friend who stuttered, and it took her telling me that I was not helping by finishing her sentences.  Those who stutter need time to complete their sentence.  Cutting them off to complete it for them cuts off their mental process.  Dan was in the same situation.  Once I learned that, communication was much easier.

Sometimes we think we’re all communicating on the same level, but we’re not.  There might be language barriers, or physical barriers, or emotional or mental barriers.  We need to take those into account, and listen more carefully before we say another word.  We need to give the other person an opportunity to finish what they are saying before we respond.  We need to digest what they’re really saying, and not what we think they’re saying. 

A friend always used to say that’s why God gave us two ears but only one mouth.  In addition we have  a heart and mind with which to listen, and to gauge our actions and words. 

This week let us all concentrate on being active listeners, enthusiastic listeners.  What we can learn from each other, and about each other, can be revelatory.

“. . . but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.”  Psalm 66:19

Dear God, We thank you that you give us a fresh opportunity ever day to reach out to each other in love and understanding.  Help us to listen with our hearts and minds as well as our ears.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

photo: bowling at Indiana Special Olympics, 2012, Tim Vermande

Kindness - Diane Mettam

Today a man at church thanked me for my advocacy of mobility access and sensitivity for those with hearing loss, but told me how difficult hymns and scripture passages speaking of “broken hearts” are for him.  He has a broken heart; that is, he has had heart surgery and lives with a heart that doesn’t work properly.  

The same pain that greets me when I see lyrics equating “lame” with “shame,” two words I don’t allow in my vocabulary, assail him when he reads and hears about a broken heart.  He shared how he’s tried to talk to people about it, and he gets the same response many of us do:  “Oh, it’s just a figure of speech.  We’re talking about spiritual brokenness.”  That response usually comes from an able-bodied person.

I thanked my new friend profusely for opening my eyes to a new (to me) disability, and another new way of thinking.  I also told him about “Invisible Illness Week,” which I neglected to mention last week.  That brought up his second sorrow, the fact that he has a disabled parking placard, but receives unfriendly stares whenever he uses it because he appears perfectly healthy whenever he exits his vehicle.  No one knows that he can’t walk for more than four or five minutes without becoming physically exhausted.  A trip to the store is a trial. 

Before my legs and back degenerated to the point where i needed my wheelchair, I often found myself in the same situation.  Sjogren’s Syndrome doesn’t show on the outside.  Asthma doesn’t show.  Diabetes doesn’t show.  The old joke, “But you look so good,” was a sad truth.  No one wanted to hear that you didn’t feel good, and certainly no one believed that you deserved that special parking place.

So what can we do to be kind to each other?  That is my question for each of us this week.  As my friend Dan always says, we can’t tell what someone else is going through until we have rolled a mile in their shoes.  How can we open our eyes, ears, minds and hearts? 

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.  Psalm 119:34

Dear Creator God, Remind us that we each have challenges, and that sometimes these challenges are not easily made known to us.  Help us to be aware of the needs of those around us, and to help and accommodate those needs in all the ways we can.  In the name of your Son, our Healer and Savior.  Amen

Polio and immunization - Diane Mettam

I have been thinking this past week about immunizations.  It started with a viewing of the “This Close” commercial produced by Rotary International in which international figures, including Bishop Desmond Tutu, Jackie Chan, Bill Gates, and others, hold their thumb and index figures and inch or so apart and declare “We are this close to ending polio.” 

As Rotarians, my husband and I are very proud that the fight to end polio is nearing an end.  We believe it complements the United Methodist Church’s Imagine No Malaria campaign quite nicely, and we are thrilled to fight two diseases which threaten the well-being of so many. 

Polio cases have decreased 99% since 1998, from 350,000 reported cases to 406 reported cases in 2013 according to the World Health Organization.  But three countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria - are still endemic, and aid workers in Pakistan are being turned away because the Taliban is convinced immunizing children is a plot to harm or kill their children.  Consequently, children (and adults) are becoming infected with polio and the disease is spreading.  Workers have also been attacked in Nigeria.

According to the WHO, “as long as a single child remains infected with poliovirus, children in all countries are at risk of contracting the disease. The poliovirus can easily be imported into a polio-free country and can spread rapidly amongst unimmunized populations. Failure to eradicate polio could result in as many as 200 000 new cases every year, within 10 years, all over the world. There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.”

Many people look at the failure of the Taliban to allow aid workers to allow children to be vaccinated against polio as the backward act of an ignorant or superstitious people.  But we have a similar crisis here in the United States, where many parents are refusing to immunize their children against common childhood diseases like measles.  There is a prevalent misconception, soundly refuted, that immunizations, cause autism.  Tragically, people are exposing their children to diseases that can cause serious harm to their children based on the irrational belief that they are averting a neurodevelopmental disorder. 

Most parents today aren’t old enough today to have seen a person who was touched by polio, in even its mildest form.  Measles, mumps, and chicken pox can have dire complications in children, including pneumonia, meningitis, hearing loss, sepsis, and encephalitis.  In adults complications can be even worse.  I have a friend who spent six months in the hospital paralyzed from the neck down after he was exposed to chicken pox as an adult.  He later regained use of his shoulders, arms and hands, but his life was changed forever.

Today I plead with each of you to encourage your congregations, your friends, your families, your acquaintances, to make sure their children have their recommended childhood immunizations.  It is a kindness to their own children, to the children around them, and to themselves.

We thank you, O Lord, for the gift of medicine and healing.  We thank you for the wisdom of doctors, and the gift of preventive medicine, and we ask for the faith and confidence to use those gifts wisely.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Keeping in touch - Diane Mettam

As many of you must have noticed, last week’s devotional was a tad late.  Our house was without internet service for most of the week due to a defective router, and it had been receiving poor quality internet service for weeks prior to that.  I had actually purchased a new wireless printer, thinking my old one was bad, and taken my laptop to the Mac shop, thinking the network card was bad.  But it was the router, the little black box that brings the internet signal into our home and shares it wirelessly throughout the house.

As I said, we had been without a reliable internet signal for some time, but it finally stopped working on Tuesday.  And the woman at Tech Support promised that a new router would be shipped out overnight.  She lied.  I waited at home all day Wednesday, missing two classes, and no router came.  It didn’t actually arrive until late Thursday afternoon.  And then, because the internet provider had changed my password, I couldn’t actually get my service up and running without another lengthy phone call.  And when I finally got it it running, the download speed was 1/10th of what it should have been.  So I left the house and waited for proper speed to be restored instead of another lengthy, and possibly testy, call to Tech Support.

Last Sunday I filled in for the pastor at our local church, and I talked about how hard it was to maintain the attitude of a Godly woman when I was so frustrated by poor customer service, the fourth router in 15 months, and the inability to get my work done.  None of these were adequate excuses; I was just plain crabby!  But I realized that I do so much of my sermon prep online because I still don’t have all my books unpacked, and I needed access to the web.  I was also quite late getting my devotional to you, and I wasn’t able to keep in touch with my friends and family as is my wont.

And that got me thinking about how we need to keep in touch with God.  If we don’t keep that line of communication open, that can probably drive us a bit crazy, too.  We need to read God’s word, pray, and spend time with fellow Christians.  We need to lift up and encourage one another.  And we need to make sure we don’t spend too much time plugged into our electronic devices, as convenient as they are. 

Thank you, Dear Lord, for the gift of the Internet.  We can connect with friends, family and colleagues in ways we couldn’t have imagined even thirty years ago.  We can reach out in ministry in new and exciting ways.  We can send your word around the world, and translate it into the languages we need to reach to reach new people.  We can reach the blind and the deaf with special technology, and reach people who can’t leave their homes.  We thank you for these gifts.  Remind us to use them wisely, and to keep you always at the forefront of our minds and hearts.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.  Proverbs 8:34

Music - Diane Mettam

My husband and I went to a piano concert at the church this weekend, and I pondered how much comfort music brings to me.  I think it brings a  lot of comfort to many people, both able-bodied and disabled.  Bishop Peggy Johnson even wrote about it in her book, The Church and People With Disabilities:  Awareness, Accessibility, and Advocacy:  

“. . . it was ‘love at first sight’ the first time I saw a choir of Deaf people signing the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ at a session of annual conference.  I was working as a vocal music teacher in the Baltimore County school system at the time.  I was mesmerized by the graceful motions of the words and marveled at the power of the music performed by the hands and arms of people who could not hear it.” 

Deaf choirs have become more common, and more appreciated, as they interpret music through American Sign Language.  And they do more than “sign” the lyrics.  They express the emotion of the music, as well. 

I have a sweatshirt that reads:  Bach gave us God’s Word. Mozart gave us God’s laughter. Beethoven gave us God’s fire. God gave us Music that we might pray without words.”  I wear it because it expresses how much I love music, and some of the composers I enjoy.

During Friday’s concert we were treated to hymns, and original compositions, and other secular music.  A piece entitled “Dakota Rose” helped me envision the high desert we left for the coast where we live now.  Another named “Hot Air Balloon” made me smile as I pictured a balloon floating with the wind, and I thought of our Thai exchange student son enjoying his hot air balloon ride when he lived with us.  “Be Thou My Vision,” one of my favorite hymns, was played so beautifully it moved me beyond words as I pictured God in my life guiding me in the way I should go.  That is how I see God as my vision.

Small wonder that so many of us find such comfort in music.  It can inspire us, soothe us, charm us.  Even the nonsense songs I make up and sing to my dogs serve a purpose; Kirby, the younger dog calms down and quits whining when he hears “I’m a Baby Monkey.” 

I have learned of the American Music Therapy Association, which works with persons with Parkinson’s Disease to increase motor function, older adults to reduce the effects of dementia, children with autism to increase communication, premature infants to improve sleep patterns and improve weight gain, children and adults to reduce asthma episodes, and hospitalized patients to reduce pain.  Music is indeed a gift from God!

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving

    and extol him with music and song.  Psalm 95:1-2

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of music.  Amen